From shrimp you can cook many different dishes. However, before embarking on culinary experiments, seafood needs to be boiled. It doesn’t matter if you bought a raw or partially finished product - it has been frozen and needs to be cooked. The method and time of cooking depends on which shrimp you purchased and how you intend to use them.
Pick your recipe
You will need
- - boiling water;
- - salt;
- - black or allspice peas;
- - Bay leaf;
- - dill;
- - cloves;
- - lemon juice;
- - beer.
Instruction manual
1
When choosing shrimp, pay attention to their appearance. Perfect frozen seafood is covered with a thin layer of ice (the so-called glaze). The tails of high-quality shrimp are folded, the shells are glossy and uniform in color. You can choose smaller Atlantic or large tiger and king prawns that live in warm seas.
Some nutritionists believe that small, cold-water individuals are healthier. But the choice should be made based on the dish in which you intend to use shrimp. A trifle is suitable for salads, mashed soups and hot appetizers with sauce. Well, large specimens are baked on the grill, fried in batter and decorate with them ceremonial dishes.
2
Shrimp can be frozen raw or already cooked. Raw gray shrimp are sold whole and require longer cooking. However, before this, seafood should be thawed. Put them on a plate and place them in the lower compartment of the refrigerator. It will take several hours to fully defrost.
You can speed up the process by placing a plate of shrimp in the microwave and turn on the defrost mode.
3
Boil water by adding salt, bay leaf, a few peas of black or allspice, and cloves (optional). Put defrosted shrimp in boiling water and cook them for about 10 minutes. Make sure that water from the pan does not run onto the stove. Remove the finished shrimp with a slotted spoon, cool and proceed to their cutting.
4
If you purchased already boiled frozen shrimp, the process is greatly simplified. Boil a pan of water, adding salt, peppercorns, bay leaf. A set of spices can be varied with dill or lemon juice - ready-made shrimp will acquire an interesting flavoring nuance. Place the shrimp in the pan. Large tiger and king cook for about 5 minutes, a trifle - no more than 2 minutes. Shrimp should not be digested - their tender meat can acquire an unpleasant rubber texture.
5
Peeled frozen shrimp can also be boiled in beer. Pour water into a saucepan, add beer (light or dark), salt and bring to a boil. Place the prawns in a pan and cook them for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and eat immediately.
6
If you intend to use shrimp in dishes that will undergo additional heat treatment, there is no need to cook them until fully cooked. Place frozen boiled foods in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them. After dad minutes, water can be drained, and shrimp can be used for further cooking.
note
When buying seafood in frozen form, make sure that the packages are intact, and their contents remain solid and not melting. When thawing, put the product directly in the packaging on a plate and leave in the refrigerator until completely defrosted. Secondary freezing is unacceptable.
Useful advice
Properly frozen fish is covered on the outside with only a small amount of thin and crystal clear ice. When buying frozen mollusks and crustaceans such as shrimp, mussels or recently made “sea cocktails”, make sure that seafood is by no means clumped together by one lump.
Related article
Simple and gourmet shrimp dishes